Operation Christmas Child and Milestones

Hello, everybody!! The Fresh Pioneer is back and it's been a busy week. One of our projects was something new that started as being "the hands and feet" for someone who couldn't pack their own Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes. We volunteered to do the busy work, and she sent us the money to buy the insides. Funny thing... as we started to work on it, my kids got more and more excited, then they decided to pitch in from their savings. We had enough for 25 shoe boxes instead of ten! So exciting!

                                                     Here's a peek at what we put inside. 
                                       
Every shoe box had a new toothbrush in a special holder. Girl boxes had jump ropes. Boy boxes had small soccer balls.

 Stickers for all!

 Every box had a small bag that could be colored with special pens.

 It's amazing how much you can fit in a shoe box if you pack it correctly. (This is when we were just getting organized.)

 A list we found online said soft washcloths in dark colors, plastic cups (not glass) school supplies, soap, etc. were all good ideas.
                                                
Every box had a pad of paper, water colors, ten plain pencils, ten colored pencils, five patterned pencils, one bar of soap, toothpaste, and a crank flashlight.

We ordered shoe boxes online and assembled them. It took a bit of folding but we got there! Here's the link for the website. This week is where they have to be delivered to a drop off location but if your city is like ours, the drop off days will go to the 26th. There's still time to participate! We still have our Heifer International Fundraiser and a few other projects, but this was a new one. Thank you, Susanna, for letting us be a part of your project, and getting us started on our own!
                                                     
In other news, I found this note on my keyboard. Part hieroglyphics, part kid printing, it says someone is ready for a library card.

And surprise! You didn't have to be six, so we actually came back with two cards that day. Exciting times! Now every child has their own library card. This must be what parents feel like when their last kid gets a driver's license. Freedom! And the worry of how many fines we'll rack up. LOL.

Emma, Mr. Knightley, and Chili-Slaw Dogs is on sale! I'm not sure for how long, but it's nine dollars off at 1.99! 

Until next time. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving! Feel free to pop by my author page at Mary Jane Hathaway or at my web page The Things That Last.